Ladder.



PATENTED APR. 28, I

J. WATERS.

LADDER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 28, 19()6,

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

I '2 a We raf a PATENTED APR. 28, 1908.

J. WATERS.

LADDER.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB.28, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEETZ.

JASON WATERS, OF WEST SUTTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

LADDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aprl12j8, 1908,

Application filed February 28. 1906. Serial No. 303,403.

T 0 all 1117mm it may concern:

I Be it. known that, I JASON WATEns, a Cltli zen of the United States, residing at ll'est Sutton, in the county of llorcester and St ate of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ladders, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to equalize the bearing of the twosides of a ladder when standing upon rough, slanting or sloping surfaces in an upright position, and to secure as firm a'foot'ing as when standing upon a level surface.

A further object of the invention is to provide a ladder with movable and adjustable legs or supporting members, of a simple and improved construction, whereby the ladder may be firmly supported under varying conditions.

With these and other ends in view which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of partswhich will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in t-heclaims.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferred form of the invention; it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily m ade'to the precise structural details .therein exhibited, but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of the invention may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a front view of the lower portion of a ladder provided with adjustable legs constructed in accordance with the invention, showing the ladder adjusted upon a rocky or uneven surface. Fig. 2 is a front view showing the ladder mounted upon a sloping surface. Fig. 3 is an edge view of one of the legs or supporting members. Fig. 4 is a face view of the leg or supporting member as seen from the direction indicated by the arrow X in'Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a face view of the leg or supporting member adjusted to a tilting or sloping position.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by like characters of reference.

AA designate the side members oruprights and BB the rungs of a ladder of' ordinary construction. The side members AA are provided near their lower ends with transverse apertures for the passage of bolts whereby the improved legs orsupporting members CC are connected adjustably with the side members of the ladder; said legs or supporting members being of the improved construction which I will now proceed more fully to describe. Each of said legs or sup )orting members consists of an elongated p ate. made preferably of metal. 1

and provided at its lower end with a foot piece or bracket 10. Said brackets 10 are provided at the ends thereof with depending sharp pointed toes 11 andnt their outer edges with likewise depending sharp pointed heelpieces 12, the latter being disposed intermediate the toes, as shown. The said heel piece 12 is disposed to one end of the base member intermediate the toes thereof and spaced from the toes to provide a securing space between them, as indicated by reference numeral 12, the latter mentioned furnishes a means whcrcbwa ladder may be used on joists, elevator beams and similar structures. It is desired to further state that the said heel-12 is oll'set from the side members or uprights st al, to extend the bearing of thelegs or supporting members CC when supported on a tructure of less width than the distance between the uprights of the ladder, and means are carried between the supporting members C-C, which will be described later on, for driving the heel member into the structure on which it rests, thereby making the ladder permanently secured when supported as above described.

. Each of the legs or'supporting members C is provided with vertically disposed slots 14-15, the former being formed near the upper ends and the latter near the lower ends of said supporting members; the lower ends of the slots 15 are intersected by trans-- sup orting member C very firmly in position. 1

ach'of the legs or supporting members C is rovided intermediate the slots 14-15 wit a lateral projection 13 constituting a handle whereby the legs may be conveniently adjusted when the nuts upon'the securiiiig bolts have been loosened; the prlnecgions ilil are made quite massive, so that, when the ladder equipped with the supporting members to be erected upon rocl I said projections may be struck with a hammer or mallet for the purpose of driving the sharp pointed toes into the surface of the ground in order to prevent slipping.

The legs or supporting members, as hereinbefore stated, are preferably made of metal, Ina substantial and durable manner; the sharp pointed projections 11 and 12 are preferably chilled or otherwise hardened, so

soil, get a firm gripping upon rocky or stony surfaces, or upon pavements of con orete, cement or the like Where ordinary ladders are liable to slip. It will be readily seen that the legs or supporting members are capable of vertical adjustment so as to compensate for any inequality in the surface of the soil; in F 1 of the drawings, E represents arocky or stony surface While in 2 f the drawings D represents a shaping surface upon which the ladder is erected, The sharppointed projections 11 will prevent the ladder from slipping outward either direc-- tion, While the intermediate projections 12 Will absolutely prevent the ladder from slip-- ping laterally.

As will be seen by reference to 5 of the drawings,- the legs or supporting members may, by engaging the lower bolts 21 with the transverse segmental slots 16, be adjusted in a tilted or inclined position; when the legs or supporting members are adjusted hat they Will readily penetrate into hard f l i l g ground, the

I l l in this position upon a ladder lying prone K upon the ground, and it is desited to erect such ladder, the lowermost members ll-Will, when. the ladder is erected, engage the ground and hold the dder firmly While it being ere ,=tc :l, thus 3 eatly facilitating this operation cnablin a long and heavy ladder to be erected by a single eerson Without assistance.

The in irovedlegs or supporting members L1 the present invention are simple in construction, durable, easily applied to all ladders of ordinary construction, and thoroughly etlicient in operation for the purposes for W rich they are provided.

Havin thus fully described. the invention, What is claimed as new is: i

A ladder having side members provided with transverse bolts, in combination with legs or supporting members comprising elongated plates, said plates being provided with upper and lower vertical slots and engaging the said bolts, transverse arcuate slots intersecting the lower vertical slots, a base member at the lower ends of the elongated plates, projections eirtending'laterally from the legs or supporting members between the upper and lower vertical slots, toes carried by the base and disposed to one side of the legs or supporting members, a heel disposed on one end of the base member and spaced from the toes to provide a securing space between them, said heel being offset from the ladder to extend the bearing portion of the legs or supporting members;

JASON WATERS.

i l itnesses LUCY Vi, PHELPS, iATTIli TJV. PLiMrToN. 

